29 May 2004

Needles

This is Audrey before and after the determined frogging on Thursday night. She's still stewing in the pot, but I'll pick her up and give it another go before Monday.

I knew it would be a very slow day at work yesterday, so I brought books to make working copies of some patterns. I made copies of the "Galway" chart and pieced them all together to make a 60-row repeat (that's 1/3 of the pattern). I cut and taped and marked all kinds of notes to myself (RS, WS, arrows to indicate the direction to read, order of the charts). It's been a challenge to wrap my head around all this. I'm no stranger to reading a chart, even large and complicated ones, as I've done many a cross-stitch sampler. Unlike working a sampler, though, where you can stab the fabric and start wherever you want, a knitting chart has to be followed stitch-by-stitch, row-by-row, and there is no background upon which to work.

I also brought knitting (Galway) to work for the first time ever. I forgot to grab the cable needle, though, so here's what I used instead.

Other than having too sharp a point, I really liked using this nail! I needed a cable needle for 2 sts at most, so the length of the nail was great; it wasn't rough, but it did have some texture, so it didn't slide around and even if it did, look at that great big nailhead to keep it from falling out! I managed to knit about a dozen rows at work, using my pieced-together chart, and have thought of some improvements to said chart which I will try today. I knit a few more rows last night. I think I'm on about row 26 in this picture. The Wool Ease is not the most perfect yarn for showing off the stitches, but I think it will improve as it grows. Having completed a full repeat of the largest chart and several of the smaller two, I am feeling more comfortable.

We're in for another Memorial Day Weekend of crappy weather, so knitting it will be!

Posted by Vicki at 11:01:17 AM

Comments

Your Galway looks wonderful! I love cable work!

Thank you SOOOO much for sharing all your mosaic thoughts and techniques and photos! We did mosaic stepping stones for a children's party this weekend and it was so much fun! I'm trying my hand at a small tabletop today. I'm sure I'll be back to look at your pictures for more inspiration!

Hi,
Having read your biography, I am intrigued to what defines knitting in the Scottish style, as I have been told I knit weird, but I have no idea what the difference is between Continental, English!! Hope you can help me!

I think your cables look great. The oddest makeshift cable needle I ever used was a q-tip. Otherwise, I use a dpn. I don't like the floppiness of cable needles. I have tried cabling without a needle but I don't care for it all that well (read--not good at it).